The Muhlenberg senior quarterback threw for three touchdowns and nearly 300 yards Friday night to help the Muhls open with a 31-21 non-league road win over Boyertown.

Perhaps because he set a Berks County record for passing yardage during his junior season, Muhlenberg coach John Yocum expects a little more.

Daniels did miss a few open receivers in the first half while completing just 8-of-18 for 103 yards as Boyertown took a 14-10 halftime lead.

"Nate Daniels we felt he had an off night," Yocum said. "We won the game, but we have to get better."

Daniels improved in the second half, throwing two touchdowns passes to Tyrell Ellison and a game-clinching 55-yard strike to Brett Fox with 1:03 left.

Daniels completed 14-of-27 for 279 yards. Fox was on the receiving end of 10 passes for 160 yards .

Still, not even Fox was satisfied with the way he or his teammates played, especially in the first half, against a team Muhlenberg defeated 43-0 in last year's opener.

"We weren't playing with excitement," Fox said. "I didn't feel our guys were playing with hype."

The Muhls opened a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a 28-yard field goal by Matt Herbein and a 13-yard run by Taj Logan.

But the Bears, playing their first game under coach Mark Scisly, battled back.

Logan Herb raced 65 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter, then threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Eric Repko midway through the second quarter on a halfback pass on fourth-and-2.

Muhlenberg nearly regained the lead on the final play of the first half when Fox hauled in a 36-yard pass from Daniels. Fox eluded one Boyertown defender but was brought down by Aaron Hunsburger at the 8.

The Muhls got the ball to open the second half and took the lead for good with a nine-play, 71-yard drive that Daniels capped with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Ellison.

The drive was kept alive when Logan gained six inches more than he needed on a fourth-and-1 play from the Boyertown 49.

Boyertown put two drives together but had both end in turnovers.

First, Jonathan Steiner intercepted a pass in the end zone to turn away the Bears. Then, after the Bears moved to the Muhlenberg 27 and had a second-and-1, Boyertown fumbled on a reverse and Oscar Morales recovered for the Muhls.

"We've got to do the little things right," Scisly said. "Too many penalties, a turnover. Those are the things that cost us."

Four plays later, Daniels threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Ellison, who had three catches for 110 yards.

Trailing by 10, Boyertown quarterback David Crognale took the Bears 68 yards and scored on a 12-yard run to trim Muhlenberg's lead to 24-21 with 3:15 left. Crognale finished with a game-high 116 rushing yards and threw for 97.

But the Bears were out of timeouts and failed to recover an onside kick. Three plays later, Fox hauled in a 55-yard reception from Daniels, who didn't do too bad for a guy having an off night.